Understanding Breast Cancer Prognosis and Diagnosis
A prognosis is the likely outcome of a diagnosis as predicted by medical experts. A breast cancer prognosis depends on many factors. The prognosis depends on your diagnosis...
- How advanced is your cancer, and how far has it spread?
- What is the size and location of the tumor?
- Do you have a family history of breast cancer?
- How old are you?
- What is your ethnicity?
- What is the level of HER2/neu (human epidermal growth factor type 2 receptors)?
- How fast is the tumor growing?
- What is your general health like?
All of these factors contribute to the prognosis, i.e., chance of recovery, that you are given.
Type of Cancer
Another factor in your breast cancer prognosis is the type of cancer that you are diagnosed with. The non-invasive types of breast cancer include LCIS (Lobular Carcinoma In Situ) and DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ).
Invasive types are ILC (Invasive/Infiltrating Lobular Carcinoma) and IDC (Invasive Ductal Carcinoma). DCIS is located in the milk ducts and is generally curable (about 98%).
Although LCIS isn’t actually cancer, it has to do with your risk of developing breast cancer. IDC is the most common, and ILC is found in the milk-producing lobules (not to be confused with the ducts). ILC is probably the least common type of breast cancer.
What is a typical breast cancer prognosis? Due to the highly individual factors that go into the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, it is difficult to come up with a "typical" prognosis. What we do have are statistics for survival.
Survival
The good news is that deaths from breast cancer have been declining for several years. Although breast cancer is the second deadliest cancer in women, 80% will survive for five years, 88% for ten years.
With the development of new treatments and the greater interest in alternative treatments, surviving breast cancer is a greater possibility for women today than ever before.
Part of having a good prognosis (remember, a prognosis is your chance for recovery) includes early detection and gathering information to make an informed decision about treatment.
Alternative Treatments to Improve Prognosis
Many women are exploring alternatives to traditional surgeries, radiation, and chemotherapy. You can find out what the best alternatives to traditional treatment are by reading the extensive information at Cancer Fighting Strategies Many different therapies and supplements are rated in terms of their effectiveness.
Cancer Fighting Strategies is a resource with information on breast cancer and alternative treatments. You can also find help for supplementing traditional treatments and reducing side effects that you may experience should you choose to go the conventional route.
CancerFightingStrategies.com is a great tool for those facing a diagnosis of breast cancer and working to get the best prognosis possible.
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